Device for reversing pieces of tobacco leaves employed for rolling cigars



Dec. 19, 1967 c. PIRAT 3,358,707

DEVICE FOR REVERSING PIECES OF TOBACCO LEAVES EMPLOYED FOR ROLLING CIGARS Filed June 7, 1965 Ivwamm amuse RQQ SPlfrb-d in! Searw "ATTQ a NE 5 United States Patent ment Filed June 7, 1965, Set. No. 461,858 Claims priority, application France, June 9, 1964, 977,578 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-105) The present invention relates to a device for positioning natural or artificial tobacco leaves on a cutting dieplate and for transferring cut leaves from said die-plate to units for rolling wrapper leaves around rod-shaped smoking products.

The cigars or cigarillos of certain types are provided with a wrapper, the outer and visible border of which is located along a generator-line of the product.

According to one mode of wrapping, two zones can be determined in the cut wrapper leaf, namely a visible Zone and a covered zone.

The visible zone, which must be free of any flaws must be at least equal in width to the length of the perimeter of that portion of product which has the largest crosssection. This zone is referred to as the geometric zone and is essential.

The second zone which is to be covered by the Wrapping material of the preceding zone does not have the same requirements in regard to either consistency, width or length. The object which is contemplated is in fact to provide an additional wrapping width so as to permit of gumming and to provide the product with sufficient mechanical strength. Under these conditions, there will be no major disadvantage if the said second or underlying zone has holes or torn portions of leaf, if said zone does not cover the entire length of the smoking product, if said zone is of more or less small width or, finally, if the edge of the zone is of irregular shape.

The useful points which can be drawn from the above observations are not turned to profitable account in machines of present-day design. In point of fact, these machines roll the piece of wrapper leaf starting from the edge which is cut along the die-plate cutting profile located nearest the operator, said profile being known as the front profile. In view of the fact that the tobacco leaf from which the wrapping portions of the product are to be extracted is placed in position by the operator in an outward motion (namely the longitudinal direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. 2) in such a manner as to completely cover the die-plate cutting profile which is located furthest away from the operator, this profile being referred to as the rear edge and intended to form the outer and visible border, the result thereby achieved is that the piece of tobacco leaf which is cut out must necessarily have the shape of the die-plate or former.

Taking the foregoing into account, the solution can consist in presenting the tobacco leaf in a movement which is the reverse of the precedent, that is to say, from the rear edge towards the front edge. However, this solution is ruled out on technical and physiological grounds.

The solution proposed in the present invention consists in carrying out by mechanical means the reversal of the portion of wrapper leaf whenever this proves necessary, in such a manner as to ensure that the border which is formed by the front edge of the cutting profile in fact becomes the outer border which will terminate the rolling of the cigar.

A reversing motion as thus contemplated is necessary when the width of the leaf is sufficient to perform successive cutting operations in the longitudinal direction.

However, it may prove necessary to retain the prior art process if the tobacco leaf does not have such a width 3,358,707 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 and if the cutting opertaion must consequently be carried out by presenting the leaf crosswise in the direction indicated by arrow B in FIG. 2.

Moreover, other considerations such as the need to in corporate new devices on an existing machine may make it necessary to modify the initial orientation of the dieplate.

For the two reasons given above, the device which is contemplated in accordance with the present invention must have interchangeable elements which make it possible to present the cut-out portion of leaf either along the front edge or along the rear edge.

The present invention is directed to a method for the utilization of tobacco-leaf fragments which are formed by cutting out on a die-plate for the purpose of wrapping rod-shaped smoking products, said method consisting in that the cutting line which corresponds to the visible border of the wrapper is located at the front of the die-plate.

To this end, the invention has for its object a device for transferring by means of a moving arm fitted with a suction unit pieces cut from tobacco leaves for subsequent use as cigar wrappers, characterized in that said device comprises means adapted to cause the transfer suction unit to pivot at will through angles having supplemental values and in opposite directions.

The pivotal means can comprise two interchangeable sets of sliding members and cams which are adapted to cooperate with each other.

In a particular embodiment, the suction unit comprises means for producing suction through said suction unit.

Said suction means can comprise a cylindrical cup fitted with roller hearings in which is fitted a cylindrical sleeve secured to a flange in which an offset orifice communicates with the Suction pipe located within the moving arm.

The manner in which the invention can be carried into practice is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the transfer arm and stationary suction unit of the type provided on machines of conventional design, as shown respectively in position A above the cutting die-plate and in position B above the rolling apron.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams of the cutting die-plate which may be completely covered or not by a tobacco leaf.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the complete device according to the invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views in isometric perspective show ing two interchangeable sliding members.

FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric in projection of the different elements which constitute the movable heads of the suction unit.

Referring to the arrangement which is at present adopted in machines as shown in FIG. 1, the moving arm 1 is designed to move through the angle a between the die-plate and the rolling apron which corresponds to the respective positions A and B. Since the suction is stationary, the front edge 2 of the suction unit is located at 2' in position B after having moved through the same angle.

In the example of FIG. 4, the moving arm 1 moves through the same angle at whilst the front edge 2 of the suction unit is intended to move through a different angle.

The moving arm 1 supports the movable suction unit 3. The movement of rotation of the suction unit in a horizontal plane is produced by the displacement of a sliding member 4 which is secured thereto and guided by a flat cam 5 fixed to the frame of the machine. The sliding member 4 can be replaced by a sliding member 6 (as shown in FIG. 6) which is guided by the cam 7 and the configuration of which is such that the suction unit will accordingly move through an supplemental angle and in the direction opposite to the movement effected by said unit as a result of the interaction of the sliding member 4 and cam 5.

The changing of sliding members which are designed to be mounted on the suction unit 3 is carried out in a simple manner by means of the tenon 8 which is provided on each sliding member and which is adapted to fit within the mortise 9 formed in the side of the suction unit 3.

The movable suction unit 3 is constructed in accordance with FIG. 7 in two sections. The stationary section which is rigidly fixed to the extremity 13 of the moving arm 1 comprises a flange in which is formed an offset orifice 14 and a retaining ring 17. The movable portion consists of the perforated plate and the body 11 of the suction unit, there being formed within said body a cup 15 in which are fitted roller-bearings 16.

The flange 12 and retaining ring 17 are placed on each side of the suction unit body 11 and are adapted to cooperate with a cylindrical sleeve 21 which is secured to the flange 12 so as to be applied in sliding contact with a slight friction against the roller-bearings 16 and thus ensure leak-tightness of the suction system. The perforated plate 10, which can readily be disassembled for cleaning purposes, is secured to the body 11 by means of two lugs 18, one of which can be released by withdrawal of a stud 19 mounted in a spring-loaded pin 20.

By virtue of the sliding members and interchangeable cams, the moving suction unit 3 is capable of carrying out at the end of the arm 1 and about the vertical axis thereof a movement of rotation through angles having supplemental values and in opposite directions.

Depending on the widths of leaves of the batch of tobacco to be employed, it is possible by means of the arrangements hereinabovc described to present the tobacco leaves to the cutting unit either lengthwise or crosswise.

In the case of crosswise presentation and of a half leaf which is too narrow, the cutting operation must be carried out in accordance with FIG. 2, the shaded portion of which represents the geometrical zone. The remaining, unshaded Zone can be either totally covered or not with parenchyma which may or may not be intact; and it is from this zone that the rolling of the smoking product is started. The cam 7 and sliding member 6 will be employed. This mode of operation corresponds to the conventional orientation which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 by the positions 2 and 2'.

On the other hand, in the case of tobacco leaves of suitable width, the cutting operation can be carried out in a particularly economic manner as shown in FIG. 3, in

which the zones are reversed. The leaves can be positioned for the cutting operation relative to the rear edge 22 of the die-plate which is considered as a reference without thereby entailing the need to cover the nonshaded portion of FIG. 3 completely. In this case, the rolling operation will be started from the border 23 and the reversal of the suction unit is obtained by the combined action of the sliding member 4 and the cam 5.

The orientation of the suction unit is defined by the positions 23 and 23' which are indicated in FIG. 4.

What I claim is:

1. A device for transferring pieces cut from tobacco leaves for subsequent use as cigar wrappers comprising a moving arm pivotally mounted thereon around a vertical axis, suction means on said arm and means on the device for pivoting said arm through at least two different angles having supplemental values and opposite directions.

2. A device for transferring pieces cut from tobacco leaves for subsequent use as cigar wrappers comprising a moving arm pivotally mounted thereon around a vertical axis, suction means on said arm and two interchangeable sets of sliding members and earns cooperating with each other and mounted at will on said arm for pivoting said arm through at least two diiferent angles having supplemental values and opposite directions.

3. A device for transferring pieces cut from tobacco leaves for subsequent use as cigar wrappers comprising a moving arm pivotally mounted thereon around a vertical axis, a cylindrical cup mounted on said arm, roller bearings between said cup and said arm, a cylindrical sleeve, a flange on said sleeve having an oifset orifice, a suction pipe connected to said orifice, and means on the device pivoting said arm through at least two different angles having supplemental values and opposite directions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,956,567 10/1960 Wheeler l3ll05 X 3,160,160 12/1964 Maas et a1. 13l33 X FOREIGN PATENTS 493,835 2/ 1950 Belgium. 360,077 11/1931 Great Britain. 87,329 1/1958 Netherlands.

186,808 12/1963 Sweden.

ALDRICH F. MEDBERY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR TRANSFERRING PIECES CUT FROM TOBACCO LEAVES FOR SUBSEQUENT USE AS CIGAR WRAPPERS COMPRISING A MOVING ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED THEREON AROUND A VERTICL AXIS, SUCTION MEANS ON SAID ARM AND MEANS ON THE DEVICE FOR PIVOTING SAID ARM THROUGH AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT ANGLES HAVING SUPPLEMENTAL VALUES AND OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. 